Marlon Devonish leapt to Pickering's defence, saying: "Craig should not take full responsibility, it's a team event. We trained really hard for this and anything can happen."

The United States, runners up to Britain in Athens four years ago, also crashed out after Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay dropped the baton on the final changeover in the opening semi-final, leaving Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica to battle for gold.